Ospreys coach Gruff Rees insists his team can progress to the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup with back to back home games coming up.

Battered Wales are set to receive a massive boost when Adam Jones and Richard Hibbard return from injury as the Ospreys bid to keep their Heineken Cup challenge going against Toulouse in Swansea.

Tighthead prop rock Jones has only started once this season because of a knee cartilage problem and missed Wales’ shocking autumn whitewash against Argentina, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia.

And the country’s form hooker Richard Hibbard has made a remarkable recovery from the shoulder injury he sustained during a collision with a Samoan hitman.

Hibbard starts for the Ospreys with Jones named among the substitutes as they look to avenge last weekend’s 30-14 defeat against record four-time Heineken winners Toulouse.

The French champions are three points clear of Leicester at the top of Pool Two with the Ospreys another five in arrears.

But RaboDirect Pro12 kings Ospreys haven’t given up on the European jewel, believing successes in their last three fixtures – they are also at home to Leicester before going to Treviso – could put them back in the frame for a quarter-final place.

“We thrive on pressure situations and we are hoping for a big crowd at the Liberty,” said Ospreys backs coach Gruff Rees.

“Our supporters have been fantastic for us in our recent home games and they were great again last weekend. So we want to produce for them.

“There is still pressure on us. We certainly haven’t ruled ourselves out of this competition, and if there’s not this competition to play for there may be a spot in the Amlin to play for if we can pick up three good wins. That’s certainly what we are focusing on.

“We think it’s a brilliant fixture. We have reflected on what we can do with ball in hand and we reckon the Ospreys backline is one of the most under-valued in Europe.

“I’m really confident in what the players can do on the field. I think they can be pretty special with ball in hand.

“We don’t always show it, but the glimpses are there and this is a good game for us to take the challenge to Toulouse and back ourselves against top-level players.

“Our skill levels on the whole are high for a top-level professional side. As a coach, I want to back these to play more rugby – not uncontrolled loose rugby, but rugby on our terms with the right speed of ball at the right time.

“It’s a coaching challenge to set up a situation where there is structure but where there is also a licence for players to play. That’s something we are mindful of as Ospreys coaches.

“We’re proud of the way the team stood up in Toulouse. We have a lot of young, local players who represent what we want to see in the shirt.

“It means a lot to us in the management group and to our supporters as well – it means a lot to see players busting a gut and doing their damnedest to get what we want.

“That said, we’d like to think we’re about more than that as well. We don’t just want to be plucky underdogs.

“We want to make a seismic shift forward.

“ It’s not always easy to do so, with injuries and other restrictions, but we retain that ambition and we want to have a really good crack at Toulouse this weekend.”

It was thought Hibbard would be sidelined for between six and 10 weeks, but he’s back inside a month.

“He seems to have a durable body and he is mentally tough as well in these situations,” said Rees.

“But he’s also done his rehab really professionally. He’s been at home doing the appropriate work in terms of icing at the right times. He’s rested up well and avoided trying to do too much.

“He’s been diligent and deserves credit for what he’s done.

“He just loves playing and playing for the Ospreys.

“We spoke as coaches after the bleak night of the Samoa game, when there were a lot of Ospreys injuries, but ‘Hibbs’ was on the phone, saying he wanted to be back for Toulouse. You have to admire the man for doing it.”

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